The California Coastal Commission approved Oct. 13 the construction of a $140 million desalination plant at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point to turn 5 million gallons of ocean water into drinking water per day.
The Doheny Desalination Project, estimated to be functional in 2027, is one of multiple attempts by the state to counteract growing concerns about the drought crisis in California by increasing water supply along the coastline.
The significance of coastal water supplies—according to the South Coast Water District, the water management agency for Dana Point—is access to an emergency supply if imported water is cut off due to a natural disaster….